Expectations are high for the Raiders entering the third year of Jon Gruden’s rebuild. After nearly making the playoffs last season, the hope is they will be able to make the tournament in 202 after significant upgrades on both sides of the ball.
However, not everyone is convinced the Raiders are ready to take the next step as a franchise.
In a recent article by ESPN, the site projects that the team will win only seven games this season. They also believe the Raiders will finish with a top-10 selection in 2021 with a 2.6 percent chance of earning the No. 1 pick. Take a look at their full thoughts on the Raiders this season:
The Raiders face a couple of significant challenges this season. They relocated from Oakland to Las Vegas, and the last two teams to relocate (2016 Rams and Chargers) went a combined 13-19 in their first seasons in their new location. Additionally, according to FPI, the Raiders have the third-toughest strength of schedule. Four of their first five games come against teams that won at least 10 games in 2019.
Needless to say, any result in which the Raiders don’t make the playoffs will be viewed as a disappointment. But a season in which the Raiders finish among the bottom-ten teams in the league will be a downright failure.
The 2020 season is a big year for the Raiders in Las Vegas. If they fail to reach their expectations this season, look for a significant amount of changes to happen on both the coaching staff and on the roster.
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